None, had a MK6 that was totaled because of a tornado. Never even had a chance to mod it.
I bought a Maxima after that because I needed a car and MK7s were a little too expensive at the time. I kept the Maxima for awhile, then traded it in for a G37, but was always browsing MK7s.
Finally bought another GTI, been pretty happy ever since. I'm always looking at cars though. It's good to have dreams.
I only test drove a couple cars before I got my mk6, a focus st and a sti. The sti test drive will always be the most memorable. They took a copy of my license, handed me the keys, and off I went by myself.
All of my VWs have kinda been love at first sight. I saw my mk4 on autotrader and had to have it. That car started to turn to shit, but I saw my first mk6 on the road and instantly fell in love. I hated the mk5s so much that I was so happy to see how much better the mk6 looked. The first night of looking for one I found one at a local dealer and the next morning it was mine. Before I got my 7.5 I thought I'd branch out and maybe try something new, but there was nothing that got me that excited. I found a dealer about an hour away selling a R in the color I wanted with the transmission I wanted and super low miles, so I took it for a couple test drives and bought it that day.
I only test drove a couple cars before I got my mk6, a focus st and a sti. The sti test drive will always be the most memorable. They took a copy of my license, handed me the keys, and off I went by myself.
Nothing, once I heard that 2019 was the last year for the wagon, and that it was likely the last AWD, manual transmission wagon to ever be sold in the US, I traded in my Subaru for my GSW.
I was fired from my first day at a Ford dealer when they gave us access to the key box, and said to “get familiar with the lineup.” After 45min of flogging a Panoz Roadster, I learned that some cars are sold without test drives.
I only considered the Golf R. Never test drove one until I bought mine. Just knew this was the next car I'd get and worked to that end.
When I bought my '89 Mustang, I was currently driving a 1980 200SX and considered moving to a newer 240SX but I tested one and realized it was just as gutless as the 200SX so I briefly considered a Camaro and an MR2 but the Mustang was generally considered better than the Camaro at that time and was a better value so I got that. I did test a couple Mustangs before I placed an order.
Replaced the Mustang with the '95 Camaro I special ordered and did not test drive any before I got into mine on delivery day.
When I got the 2006 Volvo V70 R I knew that was going to be the next car and did not consider any others either. I also drove one for the first time when I bought mine. I didn't consider anything else because my wife got rid of her minvan and we needed a family car but it had to be fast and that was the only one that worked. You could say the Dodge Magnum was an obvious option but I did not consider it because it has crappy visibility so it was not on my list.
Corvette replaced the V70 R and it was a logical step up from the Camaro and I also bought the only one I tested.
Next car will probably be chosen in a similar manner - I'll just know what I want and not consider anything else and probably not test one either.
Having liked the 2003 NB MX-5 I had, I thought about and showroom browsed the MX-5 RF. They look awesome and there's never been a Miata that wasn't fun, but it's just too small for a DD or only car. You can't toss a bike in the back or get a proper load of groceries into it. If it had the power this GTI does I might have looked harder (and swore not to sell my truck).
Edit: Oh yeah, Mazda's infotainment is hot garbage. No touch interface, but rather a knob down in the centre console behind the shifter. They eschew touch screens as a safety hazard. I suspect that's more of a sales hazard for Mazda.
I looked hard at an RF, but went with the GTI because it was cheaper and more practical. I came from a Cayman (by way of an S3) so I wasn't so concerned about practicality. I actually would have looked harder at the Miata if it weren't so expensive (though, given how easy it was to make the GTI into a 911 killer, I'd have regretted it), but I couldn't get over paying almost $40k for a Miata. That's, well, CPO Cayman money. I was also going back to school, and the GTI is just the best car when you can't have every car.
Also, for the record, I looked at an R. Sort of the same deal on price.
Kia Stinger GT2
BMW M340I M Performance Package
Alfa Romeo Guilia
MK 7.5 Golf R
Audi S3
came close to pulling the trigger on a 2018 M340i, but the only place within 500 miles that had one (they actually had three) was a shady used car dealer that would lie about prices, wouldn't sell to cash buyers or out of state buyers.
Focus ST but found the steering to lack feel. Thought about a WRX but the cheap interior turned me off. As a previous GTI owner, it was always at the top of the list.
Came from owning a Fiesta ST, so already had that checkbox ticked. Focus ST was meh to me so didn’t even bother test driving.
I went and test drove a:
Toyota Tundra single cab/short bed (was mildly interested in the truck life)
Veloster N
GTI was next on the list, bought it before I test drove the WRX. I’ll probably own one some day, but not until their interiors get a total revamp
